Wednesday, June 3, 2009

GM or Mad Scientist? You Make the Call

DISCLAIMER: The following is certified 100% pure uninformed speculation. Unlike a certain Blogger Who Shall Remain Nameless, I didn't hear any of this from "my sources", or even "a guy I met in the elevator". This is simply me putting on my "Mad Scientist/GM" hat and drinking too much coffee.

If I'm Bruins' GM Peter Chiarelli, I'm wondering if the Isles will take Phil Kessel (or Kessel and a draft pick) for the top pick in the draft...which I would use to take Victor Hedman.

Let's see a show of hands: Who wants Jay Bouwmeester? Okay, now: Who can afford JayBo? If I'm Isles' GM Garth Snow, I'm wishing I were in that group. I'd draft John Tavares and make Bouwmeester an offer he couldn't refuse, and wait for the blogosphere to proclaim the Islanders "The Next Blackhawks".

If I'm brand-new Stars' GM Joe Nieuwendyk, more than anything else, I am VERY INTERESTED in the health of Sergei Zubov.

If I'm Blue Jackets' GM Scott Howson, I'm betting that a healthy Derrick Brassard will quickly become the top line center I so desperately need, but I'm on the prowl for a good #2. And if I'm Ken Hitchcock, I'm very quietly talking to both Howson and Jere Lehtinen about what it would take to convince Lehts to move to Columbus for a year or two.

A conversation I had with my son a few weeks ago keeps coming back to me. When I mentioned to him Toronto GM Brian Burke's stated desire to trade up for the top pick in the draft, Tex Jr. hit the nail on the head: "If I were the Islanders, who does Toronto have that I'd want? Nobody! Luke Schenn, maybe...but that's it, and that's not enough for me to give up John Tavares." Out of the mouths of babes...

I am thinking if you take Hedman because you need a defender, you will play him just like Schenn, Bogosian, Doughty, etc.'s teams did. He is not as seasoned as JayBo, but JayBo is going to go for those farther down the totem pole than the top two-to-three picks, so rule out a Schenn trade for a Toronto increase in position.

Let's say the Isles REALLY want Tavares which would be good for their future. Then the best Toronto is shooting for is Matt Duchene, who is no slacker by all comments coming from the experts in open source. Toronto's deal, then, is with either Tampa Bay, Colorado or Atlanta. Your question is what do THEY need in order for the Leafs to trade up?